Forced Exodus From Shale Drilling Areas Throughout PA

Saturday, 12 May 2012 09:54

Some of the most vital, communicative Pennsylvanians I personally know, from as far west as Butler County and as far northeast as Susquehanna County, are being pushed into an exodus, attempting to move away from beloved homes that have become unbearable due to gas drilling.

Others are being pushed out against their will and face homelessness due to corporations only too eager to get a piece of the action, like water privatization giant Aqua America and its subsidiary partners such as Aqua PVR.

This week alone, three shale country residents from three different counties spoke out about their displacement.

On May 7th, Rebecca Roter of formerly tranquil Susquehanna County reported her own microcosm of this tragedy:

I am going to look to move… I have a rig 3000 feet from my [water] well going up right now. Another pad fracking about one mile north of me…there are 24 permitted wells within about one mile of my house.

I also have the Williams compressor station being built about one mile up my dirt road. It sits above me and that is a real concern for me: all the air emissions that will roll down my valley.